As many as 35 devotees are confirmed to have died in the Indore temple tragedy which resulted due to the roof of a 40-foot-deep stepwell collapsing while people were sitting on it during a Ram Navami hawan ceremony.
“Total of 35 people died, one is missing and 14 people have been rescued. Two people returned home safely after getting treatment. The search operation to trace persons reported missing is underway,” Indore Collector Ilayaraja T said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
“The 18 hours long rescue operation started at around 12:30 on Thursday, and is still ongoing,” he added.
The concrete slab on which the people were sitting suddenly caved in and they fell into the well below during the Ram Navami celebration at the Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple at Indore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to take an update on the situation. The Prime Minister said he was deeply pained by the mishap.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced ₹ 5 lakh compensation to the families of the victims and ₹ 50,000 to those injured in the accident.
